Vol. 12 No. 1 (2017)

Dear Reader,

After starting as one of North America’s first peer-reviewed undergraduate research journals over a decade ago, the McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal has come a long way and has continued to foster an ever-changing scientific community of passionate undergraduate researchers. This year MSURJ is proud to present Volume 12. While continuing to uphold our rigorous editorial process and uphold a high standard of scientific acumen and writing quality, we present this year’s Journal as an instrument to purvey research excellence and uphold our mission of promoting impactful research at the undergraduate level.

With each new year our journal receives more submissions than the last, coming from various universities and departments around the world. In this edition you will find nine original research papers written by undergraduates with a passion for science reflected well in the works themselves.

Now and in the future, we hope to provide student researchers demonstrating strength and potential with the opportunity to share their work with the scientific community on a platform which continues to garner the respect of its readers.

Alexander Chatron-Michaud & Sapan Patel

Co-Editors-in-Chief

ON THE COVER

In the recent years, awareness about biodiversity in cities and a renewed effort to improve the sustainability of cities has been established. On Page 25, Jacob Garrah, Katherine Berton, and Sophia Chen propose establishing a relationship between biodiversity preservation and urban planning and design to build a more connected, healthy, and resilient community.

The cover image shows the Montreal Biodome, a facility featuring various ecosystems, alongside an urban city skyline.